BLACKSBURG — As many times as Virginia Tech defensive backs coach Torrian Gray has tried to impress upon his freshmen cornerbacks how fast Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper is on the field, nothing will drive home the point like the real thing.

That's just one example of the culture shock awaiting a group of Tech's inexperienced, but critically important, players. Nothing can prepare them for what they're about to feel, hear and see Saturday in Atlanta's Georgia Dome against No. 1 Alabama.

There's the speed of elite players dressed in crimson and white, the innards-rumbling roar of more than 71,000 fans under one roof, the lights and glitz of a nationally televised game on the first weekend of the college football season, and the contrasting quiet bus ride from the team hotel to the Georgia Dome for the game.

After as little as a month of full team practice under the belts of many of Tech's freshmen, plus three weeks of spring practice for the January enrollees, game day finally has arrived. It's time to jump directly into the deep end.

"They're probably going to do a freshman thing here or there, but I honestly believe they're going to hold up their end of the bargain," Gray said.

"You can tell them the speed of the game is going to be like 'this,' but until they get in the Georgia Dome and kind of see it and Cooper runs on a go-route or something for the first time or catches a quick screen, then they'll say, 'Oh, OK. Now, I get it.'"

Tech will go with at least two true freshmen starters — cornerback or nickel-coverage outside linebacker Kendall Fuller and left tackle Jonathan McLaughlin — against Alabama. If Tech opens with a fullback in its backfield, it'll feature another true freshman starter in Sam Rogers.

In addition, Tech could have as many as four players that will be starting for the first time and, in some cases, making their college debuts. Tech will have 11 true freshmen and 16 redshirt freshmen on this trip, including as many as 16 of whom will be on the two-deep.

Redshirt freshman running back Trey Edmunds is a projected starter. Tight end Duan Perez-Means, right tackle Laurence Gibson and outside linebacker Josh Trimble, all of whom are juniors, also are slated to make their first starts.

With 32 percent of Tech's offensive and defensive starters represented by some combination of first-time starters and/or first-time college football players, it's little wonder why two-time defending national champion Alabama is a three-touchdown favorite. Predictions of doom seem lost on Tech's young players.

"I'm very eager," said Fuller of the potential to be matched up across from Cooper, a sophomore who had 59 catches for 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. "I don't think any big-time player wants to shy away from good competition. I'm excited for it. I'm not going to shy-down from it, whether I'm a freshman or a senior. I know none of us are going to shy-down from it, whether it's (Tech senior cornerback) Kyle (Fuller) or (true freshman cornerback) Brandon (Facyson). We're going to give him a good battle."

Kendall comes in with a big reputation of his own. With returning starting cornerback Antone Exum out at least for the first month of the season while he rehabs from knee surgery, Kendall was expected to challenge for a starting job.

It wasn't such a sure-fire path to starting roles for McLaughlin, Rogers, Perez-Means and Trimble, who earned their jobs by impressing coaches in a hurry, or when injuries struck players ahead of them on the depth chart.

McLaughlin is in the unenviable position of having to protect quarterback Logan Thomas' blind side against arguably the nation's best defense, and one that likes to flip out of odd and even-man fronts. Oh, and there's the little issue of establishing effective communication in a room that may sound at times like it's occupied by a dozen jumbo jets.

"They've just said it's real loud, but we're preparing for that," said McLaughlin of what his more experienced teammates who have played in loud settings before have told him about the Georgia Dome. "We're preparing for everything to be loud."

Tech senior receiver D.J. Coles won't forget his first-game experience. He and Thomas were the only current Tech players to travel and dress the last time the Hokies played a regular-season game in the Georgia Dome. That was the start of the 2009 season — against Alabama.

"I was just imagining like, 'Is this what every game is going to be like? This is the way I want it to be,'" said Coles, who is the only current Tech player to have played in that '09 game, which Alabama won 34-24. "It's going to be very loud. It's going to be a good experience for those (young) guys. It's their first time traveling and playing this year."

At the very least, with his brother, Kyle, starting at Tech's other cornerback spot, Kendall won't have to look far for some reassurance if things should get out of whack early against Alabama — and there's a good chance they may.

"The way I've been thinking about it is — first college game against the No. 1 team in the country … from that point on, it can only get easier," Kendall said. "I'm just trying to prepare for the best."